Long ago, when Everfree was the capital of Equestria and a thriving city rather than a forest, the Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters was a grand castle which contained many treasures and artifacts. Twilight Sparkle has read a book telling of one particular treasure still hidden there: the Nirucon Stone, which is said to enhance the magical ability of whoever holds it.

Twilight gathers her friends and they venture off into the forest, but they encounter a foe who they thought was just a fictional character: Auhizotl, the villain from the Daring Do books. Turns out, he's a beast who actually exists, and is the self-proclaimed King of the Everfree Forest, ruling from the ruined palace. The good news is that he is willing to part with the stone and even guide the mane six on their way to find it... but the bad news is that he enjoys watching ponies solve challenging and deadly puzzles and riddles on the way.

Will the Mane Six survive his tests and retrieve the stone? Or, unlike Daring Do, are they just not cut out for archaeology?